Fateful Meeting
by Sweetatoo
Summary: Pre-R2. Takes place before Lelouch regains his old memory, during which he is just an innocent and carefree boy. Then, he meets her, a girl from his past whom he cannot recognize for many reasons, and this sets off a chain of unexplainable feelings and doubts.
1. Enchantment

A startled gasp escaped him as the sound of moving boxes falling down echoed in his closet.

Lelouch opened said closet and stared down at the two boxes lying messily on the wooden floor. He heaved a sigh as he bent down to pick up the stuff, only to stop short when his eyes befell a certain object.

A yellow plush doll was intruding out of a carton box. Lelouch picked it up and examined it. He'd seen it somewhere before, and his dark, delicate brows furrowed as he tried to remember. Ahh… on his way to school, he always saw toys like this decorating the display windows of Pizza Hut shops. He never paid them any mind, considering that he never had any desire for a stuffed toy, which was why it occurred to him as strange that something like this came into his possession.

Lelouch stood up with the plush doll in his hand, and as he was walking toward the door to his bedroom, Rolo appeared at his door threshold.

"Big brother," said his younger brother with a smile on his face. "I'm home."

Lelouch quickly returned the smile. "Welcome back, Rolo."

The younger Lamperouage's eyes fell onto the object in his brother's hand. "What do you have there, big brother?" he inquired innocently.

Lelouch glanced down and frowned slightly. "That's what I was hoping you would tell me." He showed Rolo the toy and continued. "I noticed it in one of my moving boxes, and it's strange that I have it since I don't remember ever getting one. And I'm sure I don't have any penchant for stuffed toys, either." He finished with, "So do you know how this came into my possession?"

The gentle afternoon light reflecting off the bedroom's window shone brightly onto Rolo's face, thus obscuring one side of his face. His eyes were unreadable under the light, and his expression resembled that of the dead…

…Or maybe it was merely Lelouch's imagination.

Forever seemed to stretch out before Rolo shrugged his small shoulders. "I don't know, big brother. This is your house, remember?" He laughed lightly. "Maybe you got it for a friend but didn't have a chance to give it yet."

Lelouch dropped his hand as a tiny smile made its way onto his handsome face. "Ah, you're right."

"I'm hungry, do you want me to make you a sandwich?"

"That'll be nice. Thanks, Rolo." The smile widened a bit. However, an uneasy feeling was still twirling inside his stomach.

Lelouch couldn't sleep. Hours passed by and his eyelids were too stubborn to close. The room was hot and humid and suffocating. He decided to take a walk.

The river became even more beautiful at night, especially when it was glistening under the bright moonlight. The reflection below was just so captivating that he couldn't help but stare at the softly and subtly flowing waves. Taking in a deep breath, he stretched out his long arms and closed his eyes for a bit, absorbing the magical feeling that the river at night was giving him.

There was no other sound except for the gentle echoing of the waves in his ears. When he opened his eyes again, he felt another presence.

In the distance to his right, a person was standing on the riverbank just like him. Instead of admiring the nature's beauty, however, this person was looking directly at him. He ignored it at first but as the gaze intensified, he felt more uncomfortable. At last he whipped his head around to look at the figure, and the time couldn't have been more perfect. At that instant, the moonlight shone directly at that person and he captured a flawless view of her.

'

'

She couldn't sleep. Two more weeks until the plan was launched. Two more weeks until she stepped in his life and created havoc again. She wouldn't have minded actually, given that Kallen and the rest of the Black Knights would be with her this second time. However, she still felt uneasy, knowing that the weight of everything was weighing down on her small shoulders. Turning around, she found her sole companion in these tiresome times fast asleep and snoring lightly. Heaving a small sigh, she got up from bed, quickly got dressed, and examined her collection of wigs and contact lenses. Black and blue had always been her primary choice, and she wouldn't change it for this night.

She was looking blankly and passively at the gently flowing river beneath her when a sound to her left broke her reverie. She turned around, assumed it was either a wild animal coming out at night to find food, or another person suffering from insomnia like her. When the moonlight washed over his figure in a heartbeat, her own heart skipped a beat as her eyes widened considerably.

To have met him again here, out of all places…

He returned her stare. She forced herself to look away to no avail. When it seemed like forever and neither had made a move, she decided to initiate. Turning on her heels, she quickly walked away.

She could still feel his gaze piercing her back, and it took all her willpower for her not to give him back his memories right then and there.

'

'

A quizzical look crossed his face but it quickly disappeared, and he never thought about it again until…

… Until he couldn't sleep the next day, either.

Everytime he looked toward his closet, the Cheese-kun was sitting there, mocking him. It was taunting him, laughing at his memories until he could take it no more. He got up again and took a stroll toward the familiar river.

And there she was. Same person, same place, looking down at the peacefully flowing river.

This time, he got quite curious because once in a while she would look in his direction, and even thought it was only for a split second, he felt like an eternity spread between them every time their eyes met briefly.

So he decided to initiate the move. However, before he could do anything, she left.

It was like a ritual for him now. The girl was just a big mystery that it was she who kept him up at night, and not the plush toy sitting, untouched, in his closet. This time, he'd made up his mind to make her acquaintances.

She was there, indeed. Same posture. Just the two of them on the riverbank, using the river below as a disguise for their silent distress.

This time, he made his move before she could disappear again.

"Hello," he said quietly as he came over to her side. She turned around and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Her long, long wavy raven locks cascaded down her small back. Her bangs were to the side so a small part of her left eye was obscured mysteriously. And her eyes… Her bright, blue-sapphire eyes were so big and fathomless that he felt he was looking into a deep, freezing pond that knew no ends.

"Hi," she responded, and he was taken aback immediately. Like the coldness her eyes seemed to emit, her voice was equally cold and passive.

He cleared his throat. "I noticed you've come here as often as I have," he said, smiling politely.

"It is a beautiful river," she replied before turning her attention toward the sight again, but he knew she wasn't really looking.

"It is indeed." A moment passed. "Do you mind if I joined you?"

"Not at all."

They stood side by side, separated by a comfortable space, and gazed at the waters together in silence. When the moon had risen high enough for the its reflection in the river to be relatively brighter, he looked at her. "How rude of me to not introduce myself." He reached out his hand, "My name is Lelouch Lamperouge."

She took it hesitantly. "Maria Mannings." And let go faster. He chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she asked while slightly wrinkling her brows.

He gave his shoulders a shrug. "Nothing. It's just that you seem like a Maria." He laughed lightly. "Everything I picture a "Maria," someone with black hair and blue eyes like you always comes to mind."

She snorted and shook her head. "You're so corny." And smirked when she saw his baffled expression.

"Well, I have to go," she said, still with that mysterious smirk plastered on her face. This time, she initiated the handshake. "Nice meeting you, Lelouch," she said.

"Likewise, Maria." With just that, he smiled. A genuine, carefree smile that she hadn't seen him wear for as long as she could remember, and it made her heart ache. As she was walking away from him, she tremblingly reached one hand up to where her heart was, and clutched her shirt while biting onto her lower lip.

_No… Not right now…_

* * *

It's not just his ritual anymore; it's _their _ritual now. They didn't know how or why or when, but at this certain time when everyone else was fast asleep, they would sneak out of their houses and went to the riverside as if this were a big, master plan, only it wasn't a plan at all. By some chance, they would just meet up here without telling each other anything beforehand, and they were content with that.

"So where do you live?" asked Lelouch one night when they were sitting on the riverbank and admiring the soft glow of the flowing river.

"Somewhere close by," she answered shortly.

"Where are you from?"

It took a minute for her to respond. "I was born overseas, and I travel here and there. I've travelled a lot…"

"Really?" He cocked an eyebrow up in curiosity. "Where have you gone?"

"Oh, many places." She sighed softly. "So many places… There is no place in which I can stay long."

"How so?"

"Because no matter who you are, a place will stop welcoming you if you've exhausted its hospitability."

He was studying her, she could tell and she didn't know why she was so talkative in this false persona. Maybe because he had forgotten who she was, maybe she's talking with someone who could care less about she said. She had no clue as to what kind of person he would be without his Zero's ego lurking behind; an innocent student, perhaps? A boy who, without a care in the world, would just listen and not say anything? At this moment, she didn't care. Even after the mission to restore his memories completed, he would still believe Maria Mannings existed, and she wished to never burst that bubble.

"I don't doubt that." He chuckled lightly. His eyes glistened in the full moon's light. "You'll get tired of a place if you stay there too long." And she silently smirked to herself. He didn't get it like _he _would.

"How about you?" she queried. "Have you ever travelled?"

"No, I don't believe so…"

"Really? Not even once?"

"No…"

She furrowed her green brows. "You sound unsure."

He shifted slightly on the dew-strewn grass. "Apparently, I moved here when I was much younger. I believe my parents came with me but they left soon after, because I don't have any memories of them ever staying here in Japan. Then…"

"Then?"

"A few months ago, a younger brother of mine came from home to live with me." He was chuckling to himself. "Can't believe my parents never told me my brother was coming. It was like waking up and finding out you have a younger sibling in your home."

She was silent for a while before asking. "How's your brother? What's his name?"

"Rolo. He's a nice and obedient guy. Although he's a bit shy around my friends, but I can tell he's gradually growing to like them." He smiled. "He makes the house feel more like a home."

"How so?"

"Before he came, it was so empty. It felt like something was missing, but I couldn't put my finger on it… When he started living with me, however, it felt complete." He took a deep breath, and they remained silent for the rest of the night until it was time for both of them to go.

* * *

"Leloooouch!"

"Eh?"

"You're falling asleep!"

Lelouch looked up to see Shirley standing in front of him. Her face showed concern, her brows knitted together, and her hands on her hips. She was looking down at him with disapproval. He yawned.

"What was I missing?"

"Big brother, you started dozing off when Madame President began the meeting." Rolo replied.

"In other words," Milly said with a huff. "You missed the whole meeting!"

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Lelouch asked, slightly annoyed.

"I guess you picked the corner's seat for a reason, Lelouch," Rivalz chimed in before he added the _tsk, tsk _sounds.

Lelouch massaged his temples as he replied, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"Hmm… what have you been up to at night, huh, Lelouch?" Milly inquired accusingly. She then leaned forward on his desk and frowned. "Are you out for games?"

"No, of course not! It's just that I couldn't sleep…"

"Are you okay, big brother?" inquired Rolo with those huge, deer-like worried eyes.

"I'm fine, don't worry bout me." He murmured. Suddenly, he just wanted to be left alone. Standing up, he stretched out his arms and smiled at the blond President. "May I use the bathroom?" he asked, to which she nodded. "Of course. Be back soon, though. We're going to start in fifteen minutes," added Milly.

Unbeknownst to them all, Lelouch decided to skip the meeting altogether. Hell could break loose tomorrow for all he cared. Right now, he needed a peace of mind.

* * *

He was there again, at the riverbank, looking into the subtle waves of the crystal-clear river beneath. It was so strange standing here in the middle of the day. The sun was up, shining brightly above. The pink and red cherry blossoms were blooming beautifully, lining the riverbank and providing shades for whoever decided to take shelter beneath them. It was early evening so no one was really there to admire the natural beauty of those cherry blossoms. Here and there, people were passing by, either going home from work or taking a walk around the river. None of them decided to join him in gazing at the waters.

He was alone.

He didn't know why he came. Perhaps he was hoping to see Maria here, in the daylight, but he knew that would never happen for some unknown reasons. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew by and some pink and red flowers fell down in sync with the wind. Some of them twirled around as if dancing in the evening light. One light pink flower slowly landed in his opened palm.

Lelouch stared at it for a full minute, curled his long and delicate fingers closed, dug his hands in his pockets and went home.

The water was glistening a goldish color.

* * *

They met up again that night.

C.C. was already there when Lelouch got to the familiar riverbank. He sat down next to her and showed her his opened palm. "Here," he said with a small smile. She glanced down and her eyes widened.

"That's…"

"Do you like it?" he asked, and she could only stare at it speechlessly.

In his palm lay a hairclip, adorned by a light pink cherry blossom flower. The only thing she could think of saying at that moment was "Is that a real flower?" And he chuckled before replying, "Yes. I had free time this evening so I thought I should give it a try. Amazingly, it worked."

_Lelouch… Does this unrecognizably soft side really exist in you? Why? _Suddenly, she had a strange and twisted feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Maria? Are you okay?" His gentle voice drew her back to the present and she startled, for she realized it took her longer than it should to reply to him.

"I'm okay," she cleared her throat. A forced smile spread on her thin lips as she nodded at the hairclip. "It's beautiful."

His smile widened a bit, and his bright violet orbs travelled to her curly bangs. "Do you mind?" He gestured toward her hair. Without knowing what she was actually doing, she shook her head. Lelouch leaned closer with the hairclip in his hands.

Then, it hit. She was wearing a wig; he would know if he touched it. C.C. hastily backed away, frowning, which caused him to pause with his hands in midair, and a confused look on his face.

"On second thought," she said, taking the hairclip from him while forcing a stiff smile to stay on her pretty face. "I'd rather do it myself." True to her words, she quickly clipped it onto her bangs, lifting some hair up and pinning it behind her ear, revealing more of her left eye in the process.

Lelouch smiled pleasantly. And the churning feeling in her stomach returned.

"You look nice," he said. The churning feeling turned into a burning sensation and C.C. had to shift in her seat by tucking her knee-length silky dress under her folded legs. It felt so strange hearing a compliment from this supposedly stoic guy. He was supposed to be cold and calculating and uncaring and snarky when he conversed with her. However, the person next to her now was the total opposite. A gentle, pleasant, nice and innocent guy whom she never thought she would ever encounter in her endless travelling.

He had lost his memory, therefore he turned to the person he should have been right from the start. Not someone who felt a need to take revenge on his own family. Not someone who needed to be evil.

The burning sensation never subdued. Without her realizing it, C.C. nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She then glanced toward Lelouch who had already averted his gaze toward the river.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For the hairclip. It's beautiful." She meant it.

He only nodded in return. A tiny smile was still dancing on his lips. As the moon shone its light over the couple briefly, C.C. saw that it was a sad smile.

"You know," started Lelouch, "I've been feeling strange lately. I feel like I'm not myself."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know." He shook his head before continuing. "Like I know who I am, but at the same time I don't feel like... myself. Like I'm trapped in some cosmic web." He let out a light laugh. "That's weird, isn't it? How can one not know one's identity?"

C.C. didn't say anything. Instead, she was staring at her clasped hands on her laps.

"But," his voice lowered into a whisper. The sad smile disappeared. "I can't explain this feeling. Am I really who I am? Every night, I just have this doubt in my head that I can't sleep…"

"Is that why you decided to take a walk here in the first place?"

"Yes, to clear my head and think about this because it's so ridiculous that I can't share it with anyone."

_No, it's not ridiculous at all, Lelouch. This isn't you. This isn't your life but…_ C.C. glanced toward the boy next to her. _You look so happy and content. Even though this life is false but you don't have to worry about anything. _She looked back at her pale hands. _Is it right to take it away from you? _She stole a glance at him again, without his knowledge. _Do you want to go back onto the path you used to walk?_

"I'm surprised you're sharing it with me," said C.C. in order to lighten the mood. Then, it surprised her because she actually cared about lightening the mood, as if… as if she really cared about the conversation they're having.

"It's easy that way," he replied without looking at her. "You don't really know me. I hardly know you." Then he regarded her with those mesmerizing, bright and illuminating violet eyes. "However, I'd like to get to know you better."

To say that it merely took her by surprise was an understatement.

In fact, she could never believe he would say that. But then again, he wasn't his usual self. He wasn't the devilish person that she knew. He was a different person, someone with an untainted heart.

A soft smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she stood up. "Seems like it's time for me to go, but I'd like to get to know you better as well. I'd like to hear more about your stories and your doubts." Her smile widened a bit as she reached up her left hand to gingerly touch the hairclip. "I want you to know that you can trust me. Whatever you want to tell me will stay just between us, and I will not judge you. Keep that in mind, Lelouch." She nodded at him. "Good night."

He was waving at her as she was walking further away, back to the home base, back to business. Her night of enchantment and magic had once again ended.

_(To be continued)_

* * *

**A/N: **I actually wrote the whole story out, so this one will not be left unfinished! All I need to do right now is to proofread and edit it. This story was supposed to be a one-shot only, however, it came out too long that I had to divide it into multiple chapters, but worry not, it won't be a long story :) Thank you so much for reading! Reviews are appreciated!**_  
_**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Code Geass.


	2. Fate

"Hmm… Lulu?"

He slowly looked up. His eyes were red and sort of puffy from lack of sleep, but despite all that, he still couldn't force his eyelids closed at night without having gone to the familiar, gently-flowing river and met the mysterious Maria first.

Lelouch wiped at his sleepy eyes with his knuckles. "Yes, Shirley?" he asked, earning a subtle blush from her.

"Uhh… I was just wondering if… if you're doing okay." She was fidgeting and playing with a long strand of her orange hair. Lelouch blinked.

"I'm fine. What's the matter?"

She quickly shook her head. "N-Nothing! It's just that you've been very quiet lately, and you haven't been quite attentive in class so I was worried…" Her eyes didn't betray her words.

Lelouch took in a deep breath before standing up. He stepped closer to her, earning an even deeper blush and widened eyes from the orange-haired girl, and spoke with a soft smile, "I'm alright. Please don't worry about me." He nodded toward his textbooks that were scattering on the desk. "I've just been studying late at night, that's all." With that, Shirley uttered a sigh of relief before a bright smile broke out on her innocent face. "I understand. Make sure you don't overexert yourself, Lulu!"

He could only smile in return. Little did she know what he's telling her was a blatant lie.

* * *

Lelouch brought in hot tea flavored with honey and milk for his younger brother. Rolo was sitting on the bed with a thick blanket covering his laps and a book in his hands. He looked up when Lelouch knocked on the slightly ajar door.

"Hello, big brother," said Rolo as he put the book down on the bed.

"I brought you some tea," said Lelouch. He handed Rolo a dark green ceramic cup, and the latter nodded in a silent 'thank-you.'

"What are you reading?" Lelouch asked curiously, to which Rolo replied with a shrug. "It's a reference for an essay I have to write for History class." He then looked up to study his older brother, who was still staring at the hardcover book.

"Did you know?" Rolo began. "The Britannian Emperor's favorite wife was a mere commoner, and they had two children before the tragedy struck?"

"I've read about it," nodded Lelouch in confirmation. "It was so tragic."

"That's not all. It's believed that the Emperor planned the assassination."

Lelouch looked perplexed. "Impossible. I don't remember reading about that."

The younger Lamperouge shrugged again. "Your book was probably outdated. This one," he gestured toward the object on the bed, "is newly updated."

"You can't just change history."

"No, but I suppose they found some information that was amiss back in the day."

Silence engulfed them. Little did Lelouch know that Rolo was studying the former's expression carefully the entire time.

When nothing seemed out of place, Rolo broke the silence by sighing. "It's such a thick book, I'm sick of it." He then handed the cup back to his older brother. "Thanks for the tea, big brother."

"Don't mention it," said Lelouch as he took the mug. "Do you want me to turn off the lights?"

"Yes, please." And Lelouch did. However, before he could leave, Rolo stopped him by asking, "Big brother? Do you think you can tuck me in?"

A soft smile lit up Lelouch's face as he went back to the bed. "Of course, Rolo."

"Good night."

Lelouch went back to his room. A dark blue ceramic cup of his own that contained hot tea, now had turned colder, was sitting idly on the desk, next to a pile of books and papers. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he brought up his hands to ruffle his raven hair. He needed to study. He needed to get a good night's sleep. He needed to be focused during the day. So he decided to not go tonight. Silently, he offered Maria an apology.

Sitting down, Lelouch picked up the mug and sipped from it. The contents had turned cold but he didn't mind. He put the mug back down, then picked up his pen and started scribbling.

An hour passed…

Lelouch's eyes kept travelling to the clock, and every time he glanced back down at the paper, he noticed with dismay that he didn't really get anywhere. Still, the raven-haired teen forced his mentality to focus on the task at hand, and not on the river with a beautiful full moon shining brightly above.

Hours and hours passed… It was almost 2:30 in the morning. He was long overdue.

Lelouch stretched out his arms and stole a look at the closet. Gravest mistake.

Inside, the familiar yet unfamiliar Cheese-kun was sitting in the dark. Lelouch could feel its closing eyes staring at him, piercing through his soul to search for what's hidden inside. Its lazy smile was taunting yet chastising him. Its dusty hat was tilted and old-looking. Overall, the mysterious Cheese-kun, which he still didn't know how he'd come to possess it in the first place, was mocking him with a simple question, "Are you really going to bail on her tonight?"

Lelouch sprang up from his chair and sprinted toward the door.

'

'

'

"Where are you going?"

C.C. looked at the red-haired pilot's reflection in her mirror as the former was fixing her black-haired wig. "Out."

"I can see that," growled Kallen impatiently. "I meant where specifically?"

"Are you my mother? Even with my mother I didn't even bother telling her where I was going." _If I ever met my mother…_

Kallen looked taken aback by the witch's harsh response. "What's with you?" she asked, wrinkling her nose with disdain. "That was unnecessary."

The green-haired girl sighed. She finished putting in her sapphire-blue contact lenses, then turned around to face her companion at the moment. Kallen had to admit that with the wig and different eye color, the witch was an entirely different person. No one could have known that it was the immortal witch who had aided the leader of the Black Knights.

"Listen, the operation is coming to a close. Everyone's on edge, and I'm no exception," said C.C. as she stood up and walked toward the closet.

"That's as close to an apology as I'll get, so I'll take it," replied the red head with a heavy sigh. She then slumped down onto the hard mattress with her arms rested behind her head and her blue eyes glued to the ceiling above. "What do you think he's doing right now?" Kallen asked softly.

"Who knows?"

"You lived with him. Is he sleeping right now? Is he studying? What time does he usually go to sleep?"

The witch didn't say anything as she picked out her outfit.

"I wonder… what he's like if he had a normal life."

C.C.'s hands came to a stop on the closet's doors, and Kallen went on without noticing. "I wonder if he's a gentle man right now. I mean, before I knew of his identity, he was a pretty nice guy." A chuckle escaped her lips. "He was really popular, you know. Every girl seemed to like him, especially Shirley." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Do you think they're together now? Do you think…"

"No, Kallen," C.C. interrupted the exceptional pilot immediately. She had been dreading this ever since that night she met him, and she knew exactly where this conversation was going. "We can't stop now. We've come too far. This isn't his life, you know that. This is false, this is untrue, and he trusts us to restore his memory of his old life." She paused. "I'm sure of that." She knew she was trying to convince herself rather than Kallen, but at least she needed to hear another opinion.

Thankfully, Kallen agreed with her. "Yeah, I suppose you're right." Then, the red-haired girl turned around on the bed, her back now facing C.C., signaling an end to the conversation. C.C. quietly got dressed and left without making a single noise.

'

'

'

Before she went to their meeting place, she stopped by Pizza Hut. She had never shared her pizza with anyone before, however, she was determined to change her habit this time.

It was 2:55 in the morning. He was long overdue.

C.C. was sitting on the dark green grass by herself tonight. Her usual night companion was nowhere to be found, and that's precisely why she was glad she had stopped at Pizza Hut before. The water was flowing softly like usual. The bright full moon above was shining beautifully and mesmerizingly, giving off a wavelike reflection in the slightly dark waters. She picked up a slice of pepperoni and cheese pizza and started munching on it. Her eyes were soulless as she stared at the nothingness in front of her.

She should have been mad, or rather she should have been irritated. No, that's wrong. She _shouldn't _feel anything because she's an immortal witch with a frozen heart. That's not true, either, because she was feeling right now. She had been feeling ever since that fateful night she met him here.

The large, whole pizza was halfway gone, and suddenly she lost her appetite. C.C. let out a sigh as she stood up, dusted her baby blue dress. She then stole a glance in the direction she knew he would be coming from. Nothing.

C.C. was about to bend down to pick up her pizza box when she heard some rustling noises from that particular direction, and her ears perked up instantly.

She whipped her head around and saw him, all out of breath and panting, running toward her. He was still dressed in his school uniform, and surprisingly, unexpectedly, her heart did a leap.

"Lelouch…"

He came to a skid in front of her and bent down to put hands on his knees. His breathing was ragged and rapid, as if he had just run a marathon. No matter how hard she tried, she was unable to stifle a chuckle.

"Sorry," he was saying, still gasping uncontrollably for air. "I was caught up in something." _It was all my fault. _"I'm sorry for making you wait." Finally, he looked up. His bright violet orbs had the same shininess as that of the moon. They even illuminated the light from above.

Without realizing it, C.C. reached out a hand to softly ruffle his slightly wet hair that was matting down on his forehead. A tiny smile made its way onto her pretty face. "You actually ran here?" It was more like a statement than a question. "I'm impressed."

"How come?" he inquired as he straightened up and regained his posture.

The mysterious smile was still dancing on C.C.'s rosy lips as she replied. "No reason." _Will you run again for me?_

Then, he reached up and grasped her hand unexpectedly. C.C. looked puzzled and flinched. She hadn't realized her hand was still in his soft, raven locks until he caught it. She thought she was trying to pull it back, but in reality she made no efforts. His warm hand was tenderly enveloping her pale one.

"I'm sorry," he said again. "Did you wait long?"

She was looking deeply into those mesmerizing violet orbs, and a thought crossed her mind that when that day came, she would never be able to do this again. C.C. shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she answered.

He smiled, and her heart tightened. Her doubts from before came flooding back, along with Kallen's unspoken words… _"Do you think we should leave him alone to enjoy the life he should have had in the first place?"_

"Maria…" he began.

"Ah, Lelouch," C.C. interrupted while point toward the pizza box. "I bought it on the way here. Want to have some?"

A delicate raven eyebrow rose slowly on his handsome face. "Pizza this late at night? That's very unhealthy, Maria."

"You got a problem with that?" she queried, shooting him neutral look. "If you don't want it, then more for me," she said defiantly. As if to prove her point, she pulled away from him and sat down next to her pizza box. As she was opening it, she sensed movement next to her.

"Well, I suppose once in a while doesn't hurt," said Lelouch with a smile on his face. He picked up a slice and started devouring it, savoring the flavor of cheese melting on his tongue.

C.C. was looking at him with a softened expression, one that she didn't don for just anyone or anything. She couldn't remember the last time such an expression was visible on her mask. But right now, none of it mattered. "Enjoy it while you can, Lelouch," whispered C.C. so lowly that she was sure he couldn't hear it.

Afterwards, when they finished eating and threw all the trash away, and had approximately a couple of hours left, they decided to just spend the rest of the early morning in silence.

C.C. was sitting on the dew-strewn grass with her long and slender legs delicately folded under her silky knee-length dress. One of her hands was tenderly placed on her lap as her eyes glued to the horizon in the distance. The sun would soon be coming up, signaling an end to another enchanted night, and she let out a contented sigh. Even though the plan would be launched soon in a few days, the past week had been a wonderful experience for her. Silently, she was glad to have met him here, to have learned about his innocent, pure and untainted self.

Suddenly, a gasp escaped her rosy lips.

Lelouch had put his head on her laps without her noticing it. She only realized the heavy weight of his head when he had already positioned himself comfortably.

"Lelouch…"

"You're so out of it," he said. His eyes were closed as if like her, he was also feeling contented and wanted to make the most of the time they had left together. "Is something bothering you?"

Slowly and cautiously, C.C. reached one hand out, hesitating ever so slightly, and placed it in Lelouch's soft, raven locks. When he didn't move or even flinch, she started to gently ruffle his hair, knowing full well that his old, true self would never, ever let her do this.

Smiling to herself, she spoke softly, "Nothing at all. I'm just…" _Happy. _"I'm okay."

A soft smile broke out on his handsome and peaceful face.

They remained in that position until the night's magic finally ended.

* * *

Lelouch was standing in the classroom's corner chatting away with Shirley and Rivalz when his phone started ringing. He quickly excused himself, glanced down at the phone's screen and flipped it open.

"Rolo?"

"Ah, big brother. Are you having class right now?" inquired the younger Lamperouge from the other end.

"No," replied Lelouch with a small frown on his face. "But don't _you_? I thought you're supposed to be in Math right now."

"My teacher got sick so he cancelled class. We all left early, and I'm at home right now." Sounds of shuffling were heard in the background.

"I see."

"Ah, I just called to tell you that I'm going to clean out my closet today. There's a lot of stuff that I don't need and I'm thinking of either donating them or throwing them away."

"Whatever suits you, Rolo," answered Lelouch pleasantly.

"Do you want me to clean your closet for you, too? The truck is coming today, unless of course you want to do it on your own."

Lelouch took a moment to ponder this. At last, he said, "It's alright. Go ahead."

"Okay, big brother. I'll see you back at home." With that, Rolo hung up. So did Lelouch. However, there was this nagging thought lurking in the back of his head, coupled with a twisty feeling deep in the pit of his stomach. And the more he mulled over it, the worse it got. The twisty feeling quickly turned into a burning sensation, yet he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

There was no time to think about this, however, because at that precise moment, the doors to the classroom slid open and the teacher stepped in, silently announcing that everyone should return to their seats.

Lelouch took his with a subtly unwavering frown.

Ten minutes passed by… The whole class was eerily quiet, save for the spoken words of the teacher. Everyone was so engaged in their task of listening and taking notes that no one noticed the occasional tapping of a pencil against the desk.

Fifteen minutes were gone…

Thirty minutes swooped by… All of a sudden, Lelouch shot up from his chair.

"Mr. Lamperouge?" queried the teacher curiously.

"Ah, may I be excused? My stomach's hurting," replied Lelouch as he put one hand over his tummy to demonstrate how much it's hurting. He quickly donned a pained expression.

The teacher studied him for ten seconds before nodding his head slowly. "Yes, you may be excused."

Shirley was giving him a worried look as he passed by her, and when he saw that he only awarded her with a tiny smile.

As soon as the doors slid close behind him, Lelouch took off sprinting toward his dorm.

'

'

The door to the Lamperouge's living room swung open. "Rolo!"

The younger Lamperouge let out a yelp as he slightly jumped in his seat. "Big brother!" he breathed, his hands clutching the book tighter in surprise. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be—"

"Did you clean my closet yet?" Lelouch hastily cut his brother off.

"Hmm yeah, about fifteen minutes ago."

"Fifteen- Oh my god…" he mumbled as he wrapped his hands around his head.

"Are you okay, big brother?" asked Rolo with a worried and quizzical look on his face.

Lelouch took in a deep breath. He hadn't realized he was badly out of breath and gasping and sweating uncontrollably. Rolo just stared at his older brother in awe.

Lelouch ruffled his hair before asking, "Did you see a stuffed toy in my closet?"

"A stuffed toy?"

"Yeah, it's yellow and old and has a hat on top of its head."

Rolo tapped a finger against his chin as if trying to remember. Lelouch waited patiently while tapping his foot on the wooden floor.

"Ahh, that one," said Rolo. "Yeah, I threw it out."

"You what?"

"You told me to clean it so I did." The younger Lamperouge furrowed his brows slightly in confusion. "Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"Tell me the company's name."

"What?"

"The truck's name!"

'

'

"Oh that truck? It just came by ten minutes ago…"

"Oops, you missed it. It was here five minutes ago. Which way was it going? I believe that way."

"Turn that corner over there and you'll see it. The driver did tell me he was going to that house next..."

"Sorry, you're just a few minutes late. It went that way. No, this way. Ahh no, I believe that way… Actually, you know what… I have no clue…"

"Hmm… I'm not sure… I think it went that way. Oh, by the way, you're pretty cute. Can we exchange numbers?"

Lelouch leaned against a lamppost, completely out of breath. His arms were hanging limpless on either side of his body with his eyes closed tightly. He could feel his heart racing wildly and thumping violently against his ribs. Lelouch tilted his head a bit further back, and felt his damp hair matting against his equally damp and cold forehead.

This was the very first time Lelouch Lamperouge had done so much exercise in a day.

He took in multiple deep breaths to calm his rapidly beating heart. His lungs were on the verge of exploding, and Lelouch slid to the ground.

It was hopeless. There was no way to know exactly which way the truck was going. He had called the company and they gave him a route that the truck was supposed to use. However, there seemed to be a car accident on one of the local streets, so the truck most likely took a detour somewhere, and now he had no idea where to look for it. The previous clients did help a bit, but right now everything seemed hopeless.

The Cheese-kun was gone for good. He didn't know why that should bother him. After all, it was just an old toy that he didn't know how it'd come into his possession in the first place. He shouldn't forget the fact that it had been mocking him ever since that day he discovered it lying in a carton box.

So why should he be bothered by the fact that it's gone? Shouldn't he rejoice instead?

However… Lelouch lifted his head up to stare at the goldish sky above. It was late evening now. He had been running around and absorbed in his task so much that he hadn't realized how late it'd gotten. Rolo was probably very worried and wondering where his older brother was…

However… Lelouch kept his eyes glued to the slowly floating puffy clouds above… The Cheese-kun introduced him to her. If it weren't for that stuffed toy, he never would have met Maria, and realized the feelings he never knew he had. It was thanks to the Cheese-kun that he had a chance to experience that particular feeling. And it was wonderful. Lelouch smiled softly to himself.

_That's why… That's why I wanted to give it to her, to show her I…_

Lelouch quickly stood up and a determined look crossed his face. He had to find it, no matter what. He had to give it to her, and tell her exactly how he'd been feeling.

Suddenly, the sounds of tires rolling on gravel paths hit his eardrums and he automatically whipped his head around. His eyes widened considerably.

The truck he had been looking for was coming. It wasn't going in his direction though. Instead, it was turning the corner, heading toward a different street.

Without thinking further, Lelouch sprung into action. He quickly took off after the truck, all the while waving his arms and shouting for it to stop.

The truck kept rolling forward…

* * *

C.C. was looking up at the full moon above. It was so bright and beautiful and mesmerizing. She closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air, and could feel it circulating in her body and spread about, sending a pleasant feeling throughout her pumping veins. C.C. opened her eyes after a while and suddenly the illuminating moon reminded her of those fathomless violet orbs. She let out a sigh.

Tonight was the last day she was going to see him as a Maria Mannings.

Tonight, she had come quite early. Even though this was just like a fling to her, she still felt nervous as if going to a date, and saying goodbye was never something that she was good at. That's what happened with Mao. She didn't know how to tell him so she simply departed quietly, and that led to a chain of unfortunate incidents. Therefore, this time, she had to do it right.

C.C. decided to sit down on the dew-strewn green grass and waited for her night companion. Her pale pink silk dress was tucked neatly under her folded long and slender legs.

She waited… And waited… And waited…

When she glanced at her watch, their meeting time was past once again.

"I can't believe this," she said to no one in particular. "Why am I being this way?" She looked up at the moon again. "Why…"

Suddenly, the sounds of running footsteps on the gravel path echoed in the relatively quiet night. C.C. whipped her head around while standing up, and froze.

Lelouch was running toward her again. _Will you run again for me? _However, this time, it was different because there's something in his arm.

C.C.'s eyes widened considerably when she saw what it was.

He skidded to a stop in front of her and gasped for air uncontrollably.

"Lelouch…" She glanced down at the object in his arm, and her hands trembled slightly.

"Sorry." He was still panting heavily. "Did I make you wait long?"

"No, it's… okay."

A pause.

"What's that?" asked C.C. while nodding at the object he's holding.

He showed it to her and said, "This is the cause of our first meeting."

"What?"

"The first night I met you, I couldn't sleep and that was all due to this Cheese-kun."

"Cheese-kun…"

"You know of it right?" he continued innocently. _If only he knew…_ "I honestly don't know how this toy came into my possession even though I'm pretty sure I never purchased it." When he noticed her frozen expression, he said softly. "I want to give it to you."

C.C.'s gaze lifted up to meet his, and at that instant, everything seemed to stop revolving around them. The only thing these two were conscious about were the sounds of their heartbeats and the intimate distance between them.

"Why?" was the only thing the witch could choke out.

Lelouch took her hand with his free one, placed hers on top of the toy's head where the hat was sitting. C.C.'s hand slowly travelled down to the toy's belly where she grabbed it gingerly. Then, it happened.

Lelouch quickly took that moment of opportunity to close the final gap between them, and before C.C. knew what was happening, he had already planted a soft kiss on her rosy cheek.

Gushes of blood pumped violently in her veins. She felt like her head was going to explode, her whole body was going to crumple, and her knees were going to go weak. Thankfully, none of those happened, except for the extraordinarily rapid beating of her heart against her chest.

He didn't withdraw completely after the light kiss. Their distance was even more than intimate. It was, as a matter of fact, too close, yet C.C. didn't mind.

"Tell me and I'll step back," he whispered in her ear. Their hands were touching, grasping each other, the stuffed toy squeezed slightly between the two frames.

She didn't say anything.

"Did I make a wrong move?" he asked.

"No." She breathed in and could smell the delicious mint breath. A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Tell me and I'll step forward." The whisper was even closer to her ear than before.

C.C. bit onto her lower lip, drawing blood, and kept her mouth shut.

She could feel his hand grip hers a bit tighter.

"Why?" was his choked response.

A pause… A quite long pause, but it didn't matter because time had stopped for them anyway.

"Because I'm going away."

She suddenly realized that delicious mint breath was gone.

"You are?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Why are you telling me this now?" The grip was tighter now to the point that it kind of hurt, but C.C. decided to bear with it.

"I didn't think you would do this." It was a low whisper but he heard it regardless.

"Maria, I lo-"

"Lelouch." C.C.'s eyes met his beautiful ones with an amount of tenderness that almost made his knees go weak. "You can't love me," she said. "There's no future for us."

"How do you know that?" he inquired with a bit of bitterness.

C.C. leaned closer. Her nose lightly touched his cheek when she spoke, "After tonight, it's best that you forget about me."

"Why?" She could detect the hurt and confusion in his tone, and it made her heart ache but she had to do it.

Swallowing, she continued. "Because I will never come back here. Remember when I told you when we first met that if I stay at a place too long, I'll exhaust its hospitality?"

"That's not true!"

"It is, Lelouch. This is it for me. I have to move on."

"No…"

C.C. planted a soft kiss on his cheek. She didn't realize she was taking longer than she should. "Goodbye, Lelouch. It was a pleasure meeting you." A single tear trailed down her cheek, and when another one joined, she quickly realized that it wasn't her own.

_Thanks for making me feel human…_

* * *

When C.C. came back to the base in the morning, she felt like a huge part of her soul was missing, and frankly, she wished she were back to that cold and detached witch once again, someone who was unable to feel anything. Someone who was capable of shutting everything and everyone out. However, she wasn't that person right now.

Heaving a small sigh, C.C. dragged her feet forward. Then, she spotted smoke coming up from a small bonfire.

"Did you guys camp here last night?" asked C.C. passively as she approached the two guys standing next to the fire.

The Black Knights members shot her a cold look. After all this time, they still couldn't bring themselves to like her, and she couldn't blame them. Sometimes, she didn't like herself, either. For instance, like right now. C.C. smirked at that thought, and their cold look just got colder.

"We were getting ready. What were you doing? Kallen couldn't find you anywhere," one of them said.

C.C. shrugged. "I was out on business. There was something that had to be done."

"Like what?"

"None of your business. Now are you going to answer my initial question or not?"

"We already did," retorted the other one.

C.C. couldn't help suppressing a heavy sigh. "Are you stupid? Can't you read my real question between the lines?"

The one who answered last looked like he wanted to knock her out. Actually, he was definitely going to had the older man not held him back. The latter shot him a warning look, clearly implying that it wasn't worth it. The former pulled his arm back grudgingly.

"We're just burning all the evidences that might lead to our identities after we desert this place," replied the older man coldly and gruffly.

C.C. glanced at the burning fire. It was dwindling down and would be gone real soon.

Slowly reaching up, the witch grabbed the top of her wig, pulled it loose, surprising the two men, and tossed it into the fire. She also took off her contact lenses and allowed them to join their unfortunate friend in the fire.

Her eyes were emotionless and soulless and fathomless as she stared at the objects being burned away.

Her hands were balled into a fist as a decision was slowly made in her mind.

'

'

'

A sea of blood was spread in front of him. Dead bodies strewed about. Fire was engulfing the place. The only living ones were he and the mysterious green-haired girl standing behind him. Her clothes were soaked in blood but she didn't look like she minded.

"So," said Lelouch at last. His bright violet eyes had the same intensity as that of the burning fire around them. "This is it."

"Ahh," answered C.C. as she stepped closer to him. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a purple box and gave it to him.

"What's that?"

"Purple contact lenses. Custom-made. You need to conceal your Geass sigil, don't you?"

He took it without saying anything.

"Hm" was all Lelouch uttered after he finished examining the lenses. He then put the box in his pants' pocket before regarding her. "Is everything in place?"

C.C. allowed herself a smirk. "You think we didn't come prepared?"

"Of course not."

"We're waiting for your order."

"I see. Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."

Suddenly, he stopped and looked straight ahead. "Where's Rolo?"

"I don't know. Don't worry, the Black Knights got him monitored during the incident."

"That fake brother…" said Lelouch with enough venom to make even C.C. cringe.

She couldn't hold it in anymore, so she blurted it out. "How did you enjoy your innocent days?"

"What?"

"Before you realized you had such a grand purpose in life, your life was pretty simple and boring, you know."

"How would you know?" he shot back, and she shrugged. Deep down inside, however, she was trembling. She didn't quite know how to address _that_ topic.

"We were keeping a close watch on you," said C.C.

"Really?"

"Well, not to the point of being stalkers but we did monitor your movements."

"Hm, as expected. No wonder I always felt like someone was watching."

A pause.

"Did you enjoy it?" asked C.C., ever so slightly hesitantly.

He looked far ahead. They were still standing in the center of the fire ring. When he didn't answer, she thought he was never going to and was about to drop the subject when he spoke softly, "I did."

Time seemed to stop for her.

He wasn't looking at her. Instead, he was looking sideways with his long bangs covering his eyes, allowing a mysterious aura to dominate his figure.

"I met someone," he said at last.

"Oh?" C.C. swallowed and balled her hands.

"It was fleeting but it was something special."

"I see." Breathing was becoming harder for the witch. "What's her name?"

Lelouch dug his hands in his pockets. "Maria Mannings." When he spoke her name, there was this unrecognizable yet familiar softness in his tone that immediately brought C.C. back to their enchanted nights.

"Are you planning to meet her again?" asked C.C. slowly.

"You're pretty curious lately, witch," he said.

C.C. could only shrug and pretended she was uninterested. She sincerely hoped the front sold. "Like you said, I'm just curious. Who could have thought that an evil guy like you could fall in love?" She paused for dramatic effect. "Were you in love?" Her heart beat even faster at that question.

Suddenly, C.C. remembered that she'd asked him the same question on the same day that he erased Shirley's memories. His answer back then was "I don't know."

This time, however, he took longer to reply. His bangs were conveniently covering half of his face so she couldn't read his expression, and it made her impatient. She seriously hated this new self he'd brought out of her.

Lelouch lifted his chin up a bit. Some of his hair fell back, revealing those mesmerizing violet orbs, and her heart skipped a beat.

They were so soft and loving and beautiful…

"I was."

C.C. felt like she was going to crumple down right then and there.

"But you know," he continued. "I'm glad she's not here right now or ever coming back here." He was gesturing around. "You see this? I don't want her to witness all this bloodbath. I don't… I don't want her to know the real me… I want her to remember me the way I once was."

"Were you glad to have met her then?"

A corner of his lips lifted up ever so slightly. "I was."

"However," continued Lelouch as he started walking forward. "What's past is past. There's no use in mulling it over. Right now, we got a mission to accomplish. A future to create, right, C.C.?" He regarded her with those unforgettable violet orbs.

"Ahh, you're right," nodded the witch as she took after him.

Without his knowing, C.C. reached one hand up to gingerly touch a small part of her shirt where a pale pink flower hairpin was clipped in the inside folds of her collar shirt. A tiny smile was slowly breaking out on her pretty face as she gently pressed the hairpin.

_I'll make you fall in love with me again… The real me… Just you wait and see, Lelouch…_

**-end-**

* * *

A/N: Wow this is really long... Sorry if it's too long guys... I couldn't seem to cut it off anywhere to make it appropriate so I decided to post the remaining part. Well, this is it! Thank you so much for reading and leaving reviews! :D I really appreciate it! And of course, reviewing after you finished this will just make me happier! :))


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